★★★☆
Before Belgium’s Dewaele brothers became remix powerhouse Soulwax (and DJ duo 2manydjs), they were in a band. A proper ‘band’ band, with guitars and, you know, band stuff.
It’s been more than a decade since they took that form (from 2004’s Any Minute Now forward, remixed the next year as Nite Versions) but now they’re back, playing instruments, with other musicians.
Admittedly this isn’t your standard band set-up: the sleeve notes list endless analogue electronic widgetry (with names like MacBeth M5n, Waldorf Streichfett and Sequential Prophet-6), but look! Actual drums (three kits), two guitars and ‘various’ basses!
Even amplifiers are namechecked, the point probably being you should know this was a one-take group effort, i.e we didn’t do all this on a laptop, OK?
They needn’t have worried. Opener ‘Preset Tense’ – an arpeggioed spunk of synth – has an audible cable hiss that puts you right in the room. The record is full of dancefloor basslines (note ‘Missing Wires’) and hypnotising, layered beats but maintains a ‘live’ feel throughout. If anything they should have rehearsed less.
The peak comes with mid-point medley ‘Do You Want To Get Into Trouble?’ into ‘My Tired Eyes’, a channeling of the old Soulwax rewired with everything they’ve done since.
The brothers return: live, synthesised and back to their ‘band’ band best.
From Deeweeis out now through Play It Again Sam.
